Abrasives, such as sand and particulates, are often present during oil production and result in abrasive well fluid to the detriment of the seals, bushings, bearings, and valves used in pumping equipment. Conventionally, several types of surface layers, coatings, platings, and treatments exist that increase the durability of the base material used in the construction of an electric submersible pump (ESP) component. ESPs have conventionally used boronizing on pump stages to increase wear resistance. Or, the conventional ESP component may use a solid piece of material that has desirable wear properties (e.g., silicon carbide: SiC). Conventionally, only a handful of known materials are suitable for creating durable seal faces with minimal leakage. Among various seal requirements, the conventional seal gap must implement a lubricating film to meet the challenge of friction, heat, and wear under heavy loads and high velocities. Desirable seal face materials have the following characteristics: low friction, high hardness, good wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and high heat conductivity. The list of conventional materials that can provide the right characteristics for a face seal is short: silicon carbide (SiC), ceramic Al2O3, carbon (diamond, diamond-like carbon, graphite as lubricant), tungsten carbide, cast iron, and nickel cast iron. SiC is one of the hardest, has high elastic modulus, and good thermal properties (heat conductivity and thermal resistance while undergoing limited thermal expansion). In the very best conventional face seals, diamond coatings are occasionally applied. Different variants of diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings can be made, ranging in hardness and thickness. No conventional metallic materials are comparable to SiC ceramics, and no conventional coatings are known to be as effective as DLCs. When very hard, conventional wear materials also tend to inherit a brittle behavior.